Two women missing after Memorial Day outing on Virginia river
Two women were missing after a group of people on flotation devices went over a 12-foot drop in a Virginia river on Memorial Day.
Ten other people were rescued from the James River in Richmond after going over Bosher’s Dam around 3 p.m., according to WRIC-TV.
“After a very thorough search today, this evening, we ceased operations this evening because of nightfall,” the Richmond Fire Department reportedly said.
“We will start our search efforts tomorrow morning, first thing in the morning.”
Nine members of the group were rescued by kayakers in the area, and one was able to rescue themselves, officials said.
Footage of another rescue downstream from the incident around the same time showed how perilous conditions were on the raging whitewater river, according to the station.
A man and a woman were on a shared intertube when it flipped. The couple grabbed onto a tree that had fallen into the water to avoid being swept away by the current, and had to be rescued by a paddleboarder who was filmed having trouble battling the undertow, the outlet reported.
“The current was just so strong, I had to lift my head up,” the woman, named Christina, reportedly said.
“Oh my God, he saved my life,” she added of paddleboarder Brian Rothell. “I thought I was going to drown.”
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